# How to Remove a COMPLEX background from a photo? **URL:** \ **Category:** design\ **Created:** [July 17, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910 "2004-07-17T18:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![red\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/48db29/32.png) [@red\_A](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/red_A)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/1 "2004-07-17T18:20:56Z")
what program, ive tried with photoshop it takes too much time and the results aren’t good! I’ve attached two photos: 1)img\_01.jpeg 2)bed\_1.jpeg ok i want to be able to do to pic 2 what was done to pic 1 so i want to add nice scene to it and or even just possibly add a white background with some greyish shoadows to make it stand out! but i donno where to start, first of i want to be able to just cut out the bed from the rest of the pic, completely! ive tried in photoshop but does turn out the way id want it to be! Can i get some help on this…plezz… 🙂 Thanks \_Albert ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/2 "2004-07-17T18:34:24Z")
well, its not a “5 minute job” but it can be done with PS or fireworks easily (but takes time) I dont know what everyone else does but I use just the eraser with a 7 or 10 feather and start erasing all very carefully (obviously the big parts just with a big eraser or the magic wan) as I said it can be done but it takes patience 🙂 Lets wait to see which other advices people post 🙂 I would like to see other techniques 😛 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/3 "2004-07-17T18:37:24Z")
To have the most professionally way, which takes the longest - What you can do is zoom in to about 200 - 1000% and take the polygon lasso tool. Then you can select around the edges really closely by clicking points, when you zoom to 100%, you’ll see that you selected exactly the bed. Then you can either use control copy or cut or just delete the inverse of the selection. I use cut and paste into a new document and edit it. To clean up some edges, you can use berks method of the feathered brush eraser and it will look better ;). Takes time though. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/4 "2004-07-17T18:40:32Z")
hehe i know…wish there was program that could break away the image kind like in flash and you can chop way pieces but all at once kind thing 🙂 anyone else… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/5 "2004-07-17T18:41:49Z")
I have like 20 different ways using the magic wand, plus the eraser and the polygon - just different tools for different situations :). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/6 "2004-07-17T18:44:25Z")
I hate doing this kind of jobs, boring like hell! but if its good money, I dont care! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/7 "2004-07-17T18:46:12Z")
For a complex background, the only way is a complex method ;). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/8 "2004-07-17T18:58:19Z")
Man I do it by zooming in super mucho then just start erasing around the edges… I know its slow but hey, PS is cool! Well maybe someday somebody will make a program where you can cut peices out… oh well, in the mean time imma go make a better signature! Adios! -Kenshin ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/9 "2004-07-17T21:43:08Z")
I prefer to use the pen tool myself. There is a program that does a really good job on cropping things out of images, as 3D (DDD) he knows what it is. The problem w/ cropping those images though is that you’ll need to change a lot of the lighting, cause there is so much transparent stuff. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/10 "2004-07-18T01:31:44Z")
If you chop or erase using a Layer Mask, then any mistakes you make are easily fixable. You can also brush in semi-transparent edges or lasso in hard edges after the general shape is carved. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/11 "2004-07-18T02:35:47Z")
I also think the pen tool is much better for a job like this. The polygonal lasso works, but one bad click and you have to start over. Pen is just less stressful, hehe. Also you can get more natural curves with a couple clicks instead of clicking a million times around each curve. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/12 "2004-07-18T03:12:40Z")
Zoom in say like 500% or more depends how detailed u wanna get and get the pencil eraser tool on the job at say 3pxls might take a while but if you do a gud job u will get the sharpest cleanest cut ever! 😉 you can always try useing the magnetic lasso tool and then cleaning up the bits it leaves with the earaser ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/13 "2004-07-18T04:10:31Z")
im suprised no-one has mentioned photoshop’s extract tool? filter/extract, the tool is pretty helpful and you can use path profiles to start the selection off. let me see if i can find the tutorial i had. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 4:19am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/14 "2004-07-18T04:19:29Z")
oooo sounds intresting didnt no there was a filter for it lol. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/15 "2004-07-18T04:27:47Z")
look down on the list , the second set has a vid called AdvancedBackgroundExtract.mov [http://www.photozo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5406](http://www.photozo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5406) (warning - 11meg quicktime movie) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/16 "2004-07-18T04:53:52Z")
I use all the methods listed above although I get mixed results witht the extraction tool. If I need something cropped to perfection I will erase as much as possible, then zoom in and drag a 1x1 pixel (or bigger) selection box with the square selection tool, then have one hand on the arrow keys and one on the delete button and move the box around the screen deleting as I go. It goes quite quickly with a little practice. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/17 "2004-07-18T04:59:48Z")
Erm, try using the magnetic lasso tool. If you mess up a point or two, just press the delete key 🙂 It works EVERYtime for EVERY CASE for me. Just the settings need to be tweaked a bit ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/18 "2004-07-18T05:21:47Z")
i actually dont like the extract tool. maybe ive been using it wrong but it never seems to work very well, i dont get very acurate edges. ill check out the tutorial… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 10:18am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/19 "2004-07-18T10:18:22Z")
Hey thanks you guys! 🙂 soulty that link was amazing! there so much stuff on there 🙂 but as moncreyweasel mentioned above, i dont get acurate edges either, which is something that’s a big problem and i want to have an item cut out of it’s origianl frame perfectly…atleast so the eye wont catch a little imperfection or so 🙂 Thanks you guys! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910/20 "2004-07-18T12:51:21Z")
lassoing the image isn’t hard it is basically a box than use the healing tool to clone out what is not need like the window and so on. [Next page](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-remove-a-complex-background-from-a-photo/57910.md?page=2)